418 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Vy. i\)o\)or (\\(\ not meet with this hird in the Colnnulo VrtUcy, hut he 

 hoard their nocturnal rail, \vhi(;]i he says sounds hke poor-will, on the harren 

 mountains west of the vaUey, in May. lie has never seen or heard any 

 west of the Coast Ilanj^e, nor in the Santa Clara N'alley in the sprinj^'. They 

 are, however, said to be connnon in the hot interior valleys, and remain near 

 San Fnincisco as late as November, usually hiding on tlie ground, and Hy- 

 ing at dusk in short, fitful courses in pursuit of insects. Dr. Coojkm- adds 

 tliat they iidiabit the almost bare and barren sage-i^lains east of the Sierra 

 Nevada, where their rather sad whistle is heard all night during the spring, 

 sounihng like an echoing answer to the cry of tlie eastern species. 



Dr. Suckley, in the Report rm the Zoology of Washington Territory, speaks 

 of this species as moderately abundant in tlie interior of that Territory, Jis 

 well as of Oregon. East of the Cascade Mountains, at Fort Dalles, they can 

 be heard on almost any fine night in spring or early summer. Their cries 

 closely resemble those of the roriferit.^, but are more feeble, and not so inces- 

 santly ke])t np. Dr. Cooper, in the same report, also speaks of finding this 

 bird common near the Yakima Kiver, in IH.jlJ. Two specimens were killed 

 in the daytime by a whip. Late in the evening he found them flying near 

 tlie ground. Dr. Woodhouse, in passing down the Little Colorado Iiiver, in 

 New Mexico, found this bird quite abundant, as also among the San Fran- 

 cisco Mountains. 



Dr. Xewlierry met with this species in all the parts of California and 

 Oregon visited by him. Near the shores of Rhett Lake he met with its 

 nest containing two young nearly ready to fly. The old bird fluttered off as 

 if disabled, and by her cries and strange movements induced one of the jmrty 

 to pursue her. The young resembled those of the eastern species, were of a 

 gray-brown color, marbled with black, and had large, dark, and soft eyes. 

 They were quite })assive when caught. 



This species was observed by Mr. J. H. Clark near Rio Mimbres, in New 

 ^lexico. From the manner in which it flew, it seemed so similar to the 

 Woodcock that until a s})ecimen was obtained it was supposed to belong to 

 that family. He saw none east of the Rio Grande, but met with it as far west 

 as Santa Cruz. It was nowhere abundant, and was generally solitary. It 

 was found usually among the tall grass of the valleys, and occasionally on the 

 plains. It was only once observed to alight upon a bush, but almost invaria- 

 bly, when started up, it flew down again among the grass at a short distance. 

 A single specimen of this bird was taken by Dr. Kennerly on the Great 

 Colorado River. Dr. Heermann met with two specimens among the moun- 

 tains bordering the Tejon Valley, and he was informed by Dr. Milhau that a 

 small species of Whippoorwill was abundant round that fort in the spring 

 and summer. 



Dr. Heermann killed one of these birds on the Medina, in Texas ; and 

 during the summer, passing along Devil's River, he heard their notes every 

 evening, and judged that the birds were abundant. Mr. Dresser obtained a 



